Ulla, one of the viewers of Latvian Television's 'Studio 4' show is among those who have diligently waited at a bus stop only to see it sail past with a "No seats" sign by way of explanation. With buses in rural areas rare at the best of times, such incidents mean a long wait at the very least and more probably a complete cancellation of the day's plans.
"I was waiting for the bus at 10.50 from the 'Strenču skola' stop, but I wasn't the only one. There was also a young woman with a sick child. And the bus proudly passed us by. There were no seats!" says Ulla. "What guarantee do I have that the next bus will pick me up, because the next one is again Valka-Rīga? Then there is the second bus. I got on, the mother got on with her child. And on the way the driver picked up two more people who were also waiting [a long time] – a grandmother with her grandson, who went to the doctor, were not taken by the previous bus either."
The Directorate of Motor Transport confirms that new rules have been introduced for the safety of passengers, which prohibit passengers from standing on intercity routes.
"The responsibility of the carriers themselves is to monitor the flow of passengers. If they see that the filling rate is higher, then [they can] provide buses with a larger capacity or even more buses so that passengers are not left on the street. Of course, public transport is such a specific thing. On one one day there are a lot [of passengers], another day there are less," says Viktors Zaķis, public relations manager of VSIA "Autotransporta Direkcija" and adds that in order to avoid such situations when a person cannot get on a bus, a reserved ticket can be bought in advance.
Ulla's case is not the only one, and passenger complaints have been received several times. The carriers do what they can to make the trips more comfortable, but it doesn't always succeed.
An additional bus can be sent
"Together with the Directorate of Road Transport, we are looking for a solution that would be convenient for passengers, feasible for carriers and would ensure safe and high-quality trips for passengers. Therefore, knowing that the morning departure at 9.10 Valmiera-Rīga regularly has a large flow of passengers, we have found a solution that we send additional buses every day on this route, because there are not enough seats for 53 passengers," says Anda Liepiņa, head of the Transportation Department of SIA "VTU Valmiera".
According to her, from September 1 there will be a new Valmiera-Riga departure every day at 8.45 am.
The Valmiera transport company admits that it most often receives complaints from passengers on the route Valmiera–Riga. There have been situations where a replacement bus has been sent, but the passengers no longer expect it because they have found other options.
"There is a tendency for people to buy tickets very little on the Internet. There might be about ten tickets from the whole trip. But now, lately, there is a tendency to buy tickets at the ticket office, because they start to understand that they cannot get to work. Out of 45 places, it has been that 42 have already been bought at the ticket office. And the rest of the people stay standing at the stops. We say 'There are no more places!', says Aivis Buliņš, a Valmiera bus driver.
Ulla, on the other hand, would like to return to the previous rule: "It would be normal - please allow standing on the buses, so that the buses are the same as before! I could get on the bus, the driver says to me: "You know, there are only standing spaces", so I have a choice. But at least I can get to work."
Better to buy a ticket online
This seat-only arrangement currently applies only to intercity bus routes. Standing spaces are allowed for passengers on city public transport and local routes.
Passengers are advised to buy reserved tickets online in advance as much as possible to avoid disappointment – particularly with the colder days of autumn and winter looming when standing by the roadside for long periods will be no laughing matter.
"The world is moving forward and I think a lot of people are also using smartphones. Yes, I agree that it's not a 100% solution for everyone, but you also understand, on the other hand, it's also somewhat difficult for the carrier itself to understand when and where there will be a great demand. If these tickets are purchased, pre-ordered, then in reality such situations are not destined to happen," says Zaķis from the Autotransport Directorate.
